By: Yiran Liu

From July 20 to August 20, the Women’s Soccer World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will take place. Some games are especially anticipated by fans, like Sweden versus the Netherlands and France versus Jamaica.

Last time, Hervé Renard coached the men’s team in Qatar. This time he is coaching a women’s soccer team for the first time in his career. He coached for more than twenty years across three continents. His team had a goal to reach the semi-finals. During a match against Jamaica, the teams were tied.

France’s desperate chances to make up for this tie were possible. On the other hand, Jamaica also had similar chances. This was not easy for France to overcome. Jamaica’s forward, Khadija Shaw, was a difficult opponent. With her fast running skills, she often battled for the ball across the fields. She was like a wrecking ball who was alert to all the French moves.

Similarly, the Netherlands versus Portugal game was just as intense. Stefanie van der Gragt from the Netherlands’ team scored. It was arguably an offside. The referees checked the playback video of her scoring. After checking, they agreed that the goal counted.

These games are very intense because you can’t predict the winner of the match beforehand. You just need to play your best and try to win.